Ukraine war takes 'substantial' toll on local teens' mental health

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-03-26 02:00

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An international study of 8,096 Ukrainian teens, around half of whom lived in Ukraine throughout the war with Russia and around half of whom lived abroad during the conflict, found exposure to the war was linked with worse mental health outcomes. Those who lived in Ukraine during the war were more likely to experience depression, anxiety, psychological trauma and eating disorders and were more likely to have turned to drink or drugs to cope. The researchers say the mental health burden among teens in Ukraine is "substantial", and that efforts to help are urgently needed.